O'Connor goalkeeper Casey Armstrong, right, tries to block the ball as Alyssa Amaya of Brandeis slides and kicks during girls soccer action at Farris Stadium on Saturday, March 10, 2012. The ball went wide of the net. Billy Calzada / San Antonio Express-News

Brandeis junior midfielder Abigail Koenigs pulled herself up from the turf at Farris Stadium, limped for a few steps, then slumped back to the turf again.

She had collided with O'Connor defender Sophie Zolinski chasing after the ball midway through the first half of Brandeis' 3-0 District 27-5A victory over the No. 4 Panthers on Saturday. As Koenigs lay on the ground, her coach and teammates couldn't help but brace for the worst.

The area's top-ranked team already had lost standout goalkeeper Lauren Blakes (knee) and forward Samantha Sanchez (ankle) to season-ending injuries, and now its leading scorer was wincing in pain.

Moments later, Koenigs was on her feet and headed to the sideline. Soon after, she was back playing in the game. It was a microcosm of the Broncos' season.

“She's a tough player,” Brandeis coach Heather Boss-Durante said of Koenigs. “I know Abby would probably have a broken leg and still try to play. Our team, with the injuries, they've really, really come together. It's almost made them a little stronger.''

Brandeis' display of perseverance Saturday clinched a playoff berth and moved it a victory from securing no worse than a tie for the 27-5A championship.

O'Connor (14-5-0, 10-2-0) can still finish tied for first, but Brandeis holds the head-to-head tiebreaker for the No. 1 playoff seed.

“With all the injuries, everyone's had to step up,” Brandeis junior defender Lisa Tomenendal said after her team improved to 27-0-2 in its last 29 district games. “As a team, we work hard, we work together, we get things done like we need to.''

The Broncos scored early and late en route to their 18th straight win. They haven't lost since falling to Cy Creek 2-1 on Jan. 14.